Page:The venture; an annual of art and literature.djvu/91

 the weavers of carpets to buy of their stock, or have others wrought according to their own pattern; others to purchase table-linen, Moorish haiks, and the like; and thus each one bought what he would of what he found in the land. But our youth inquired of nought respecting merchandise, but learned where the place of exercises was, and on the first holiday, which was the day after his coming, went thither to see how the people of that country rode, and what was the gear of their horses. And noting some particular things he saw a Moor of about fifty years well mounted, and with him two young sons of graceful bearing, and observing that by the negligence of their servants their saddle-girths were fastened amiss, he gave them warning, whereat they were glad, and gazed upon him, and he upon every one. And of all he saw no one seemed to him better seated than the old Moor, and so pleased was he that he uttered this in the hearing of many, who came around him and said that since he knew the seat of a cavalier so well it was right that he himself should be seen on horseback, and each offered him his own steed to mount, which he declined, thinking it discourteous to make the lender go on foot. But the Moor, hearing this, straightway sent to his own house for a horse and offered it to him, saying: "Take this, for I ween that these gentlemen who thought to humble us by their politeness, and that you had no such seat in the saddle as they, will be humbled themselves when your good seat is seen of them; and I and those whom you commended will remain content with the lesson you will have given them." The youth